Redux
by Dinofossil5
Summary: Death shall come to all. That is the natural law. I pray mine will be swift.
1. Legends Start Small

_Why is it so cold?_

"Stay with us, stay with us dammit!"

_Who, who is that?_

"He's not going to make i-"

"Shut up and help me keep pressure here!"

_Who are they? Are they talking about me?_

"He can't survive a wound like that, we're wasting time"

"Shut up! We can still-"

"Still what, die? We need to move"

_Wh...why do we need to…_

"We can fix this, we can-"

"To Hell with this."

"What are you- no. Don't do it, we can still save him!"

"I'm sorry."

_Sor…sorry? Wh-_

* * *

Taillow sang as light filtered down through the window into my eyes. The sun shone bright in the early morning sky as young spoink chased each other down the streets. The glory of the morning could only be matched by my irritability as sleep was yanked away from me. "Shut up, people are trying to sleep here!"

"Honey, breakfast time!" Eyes shooting open, I shot out of bed, sending the house mightyena (named Mighty by a seven year-old child whose parents gave him the privilege) yelping. Only my mothers cooking could get me out of the covers, something which my mother learned to abuse on a regular basis. Skidding on tiles into the kitchen, my dad stepped out of my path as I bolted for the table. Eyes rolling, he sat down as my mom set down the pancakes on the table. My mouth watered as I moved four pancakes onto my plate before downing them in syrup. Shaking the bottle empty, I reached for the second plastic bottle of syrup. Strange or not, my parents were used to my morning habits.

"So honey, you know what today is?" Mom asked. Eyes snapping up, I looked from the mess of what were once discs of bread. Racking my brain, I could only shake my head as I began to shovel the syrupy mess into my mouth. Rolling her eyes again, she again prompted me. "You know, Wednesday? The day you've been counting down for since you were six years old?" This finally managed to get through my head. Gagging as pancake caught in my throat, I coughed violently as cooked batter began to dislodge from its new resting place.

"My tenth birthday!" I managed to somehow shout as I caught my breath from the choking fit. Unsurprised, my dad reached down to scratch Mighty's head.

"Yep," Dad chuckled and Mighty rolled over to accept a customary morning tummy-rub "and you know what that means."

I nearly shot out of my chair as he pulled a small red and silver sphere out from his pocket. "Is, is that, is that-" I couldn't finish my question as my head locked up from seeing the item held as an idol in my mind a tangible object. The pokeball, device designed to hold powerful creatures. The marvel of technology, this was what I had been waiting for my whole life.

"That's right, it's you're new partner," Mom answered the unstated question "and you need to finish your breakfast before you can have it." she finished, lightly smacking my hand away as I reached for the pokeball. Eyes widening, I scarfed down the rest of the sugary mess. "You know, You still need to do your chores around the house first."

"I'll do them later mom, this is more important!" I argued, knowing full well I wouldn't win this fight. It didn't hurt to try though.

"You know the rules son. Work first…" my dad left the sentence open.

"...play later. Fine." I stomped out of the kitchen, shoulders hunched. Keeping my most bitter face on, I left the kitchen. As soon as I rounded a corner, a smile spread out on my face as I darted away to do my chores. I can't believe it, my own Pokemon!

* * *

Never had I finished my work so quickly.

"Geeze, maybe we should offer you a Pokemon everyday." Dad joked. I merely glared at him as I rest my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. Cleaning tailow nests off rooftops is not fun, let me tell you.

"Sh-shut up." Laughing, he slapped my back as the pokeball was brought out by my mom.

"Now honey, this is a big responsibility we're trusting you with." She gently reminded me.

"I know Mom," I reassured her, snatching the ball from her hands. "now, let's see who you are!" The ball snapped open in a flash of light, and materializing in front of me, stood, or rather bounced, a small black pig-like creature with a pink gem situated between it's ears and a long curled tail. I recognized this creature as a spoink, a small psychic type from the nearby mountain pass. Eyes widening as it took in the sight of it's new master, it's eyes began to glow as an eerie, feminine voice echoed in my head.

"_H-hello,_" she stammered, "_a-are you my new master?_"

"That's right girl," I gently cooed, crouching down to pet his orb. "What's your name?"

"_I don't have one,_" she muttered looking down, "_If, if it isn't too much to ask, can you give me one please?_"

"Sure, how's… um…" I trailed off, drawing a complete blank on names. "Uh, how about, um…" My parents barely held back laughter, something which they earned a glare for. "I've got it, Haru!"

"_H-Haru?_" she repeated, face moving into what I assumed to be the Spoink version of a grin.

"That's right, Haru." Haru began shaking as she bounced, her small frame trembling in the air. Reaching out with one hand, I began to question if she was alright. "Hey, are yo-"

"_I have a name!_" She shouted as she sprang high into the air, startling me and knocking me flat onto my rear. Laughing, I grabbed her in a hug as my parents chuckled behind me.

From behind me, Dad spoke up "Alright son, your mother and I still have a few more presents." Mom reached inside, pulling out a red and yellow backpack stuffed to the brim with travelling items.

"Sweet!" I shouted, setting Haru down before diving into the pack. Jeans,_ gotta put those back in,_ four new T-Shirts; _keep, keep, lose, keep_ pokeballs, _those go in the front pocket, maybe I'll get a bandolier to hold them,_ a Pokedex, _two models old but still usable, not gonna' complain,_ and sweatshirts, _surprisingly not bad, dad must have chosen them,_ came out before being stuffed back in.

"_Nice commentary, master._" I flinched at the sudden voice in my head.

_Assuming this works both ways, can you at least stay out of my private thoughts?_ I prayed she would at least give me that much space. I had expected the psychic communication, but had always figured it would be awhile before it formed.

"_Fine…_" she trailed off "_But you have no way of knowing if I don't say anything._"

I glared at the innocently-smiling pig. _I liked you more when you were cowering._

"_Feh, us psychics get over shyness pretty fast once the mental link's been established._" she shot back.

This was going to be a long journey.

* * *

_So, this is the opening to my first story. All reviews/commentary/constructive criticism are welcome. Also, I'm looking for a Beta reader to make sure this doesn't suck too bad in the future._


	2. Stories are Hot

"Run!" Fire flew overhead as Haru and I sprinted (or in her case hopped) down the road away from Firey Path, or more specifically, the enraged torkoal behind us.

"_Come on Haru, we should get a fire type. You can have a new friend, I hear the torkoal are very calm." S_arcastic tones invaded my head as I leaped over a fallen branch.

"I get, I'm an idiot! Keep running!"

"_Why, the Torkoal won't chase us this far?_"

"I may or may not have kicked a vulpix with a protective mother while we were running!"

"_I hate you so much right now!_"

* * *

Panting, we collapsed inside the desert Pokecenter on Route 110. "Alright, no fire type teammates yet."

"_You just had to look inside the path, didn't you?_"

I shot Haru my best grin "Hey, I'm an adventurer."

"_You're an idiot._"

"Excuse me, can I help you?" a new voice interjected.

Mildly startled, I spun to see the nurse on duty. _Right, Pokecenter. _"Yeah, can I get a room for the night and my spoink checked? She may have gotten burned from one of the torkoal."

"_Which you provoked."_

Pointedly ignoring my psychic pig's snide comments, I zapped her back into her ball before handing her to the nurse. "Alright," she said, handing me a small key, "here's your room key, your room's number six on the left. I'll call you on the room phone when your spoink's healed, or just shout if you're in the lobby."

Thanking her, I stumbled down the hall into the Spartan style room. _Huh, it's only five. I could've sworn we were in there longer. _Bored, I flipped on the TV. After approximately five minutes of trying to channel surf, I gave up. Leaving the room, I wandered into the lobby area to people watch. _Let's see, kid who took on a Cacturne with a Sandshrew, someone reading, someone staring at me, kid with a- wait._

Head snapping back, I found myself staring right back at a boy most likely in his late teens. Dressed in a black trench coat, with blonde hair and fingerless gloves, he seemed to be staring with what appeared to be anger. I could only pray that the nurse would hurry up so I had an excuse to leave. "Umm, hello? May I help you?"

The boy continued to glare at me, something which was rapidly growing more uncomfortable by the second. "Will the trainer with the spoink please come to the counter?" crackled over the speakers. _Oh thank Arceus_. Moving as quick as I could without running, I maneuvered to the nurse holding Haru's ball.

"She's still a little tired, but otherwise fine" the nurse informed me.

"Alright, thank you." Taking the pokeball, I retreated back to my room. _Freaking creep._

* * *

_Short, I know. Updates will be more frequent for the first few chapters before slowing down. Side not, still looking for a Beta._


	3. Baby Steps

_"Morning time!"_ A hyperactive spring-tailed pig sang from atop her new human launch pad.

"_Oof_, Haru would- _oof_ you ple- _oof_ please _stop?_"

_"Fine."_ she agreed, leaving my surely bruised ribs alone.

"You know, as a psychic you should be able to just kick my brain awake." recalling what the nurse told me yesterday when asked about psychic types.

_"Sure, I _could, _or I could jump on you until you wake up. Now, which sounds more fun?..."_

"Point taken, just let me get up." Rising out of bed while clutching at my aching chest, I donned my favorite shirt.

"_So, what's the game-plan, Mr. Trainer?"_

"Well, we'll head south to Mauville, and hopefully get a new teammate, before taking the bike path down to Slateport. From there, we get on the boat to Dewford, then again to the Petalburg docks. After that, we just head south-west until we hit Littleroot and I can get my trainer registration."

"_Wait, you can have a Pokemon without registering? That seems a little dangerous."_

"It's more for record keeping and gym challengers." I explained, wondering why Haru was so interested. "It also comes with a few things to get new trainers started, like some manuals on wild Pokemon, feeding Pokemon, and what to avoid until you get to a certain badge level."

"_You never answered my question about owning Pokemon with a license."_

"You can have up to three without one, I think. It's mostly for non battlers, so you won't need a license for pets like Mighty to own." I finished.

_"Makes sense."_ Thankfully, she was dropping it.

"Yeah, now can you please let me change pants without a female psychic staring at me?"

* * *

"We could get a trapinch." I suggested as Haru and I made our way south.

"_Too much work, and they're pathetic until they evolve."_

This was our routine now. After the torkoal fiasco, Haru and I traded ideas on what to catch. So far, we had eliminated cacnea (too clingy for a spiked plant,) baltoy (_What, is one psychic not enough for you?_) and the latest, trapinch.

"I don't see why you're being so critical about every suggestion," I whined "I'm supposed to be the one in charge."

"_Yeah, well if you being in charge means I get turned into bacon, then I'm taking the lead."_ she shot back.

We continued arguing back and forth all the way down Route 211, over just about every topic there was.  
"No, we should have a sandshrew." We couldn't decide on teammates.

"_I hate tailow, can't we have some roast Marill instead?" _We couldn't decide on dinner.

"No, I don't think you need to wear clothes Haru." I don't even know why she wanted to.

"_No Trainer, I think you should wear the blue shirt instead." _This was more one-sided, as I didn't care what I wore.

Bickering like an old married couple, we made our way into Mauville (new teammate free) and into the Pokecenter. Finally getting too annoyed to put up with her anymore, I recalled Haru before shoving her ball into the poor nurses face. "Heal, please." Glaring at the nurse, which I know she didn't deserve it, but I was too mad to care, I snatched a room key and marched into it.

* * *

"_I can't believe you kept me in my ball all night!" _ Haru shrieked at me as soon as I let her out in the morning. I merely shrugged, too used to the mental assault to care. _"You wouldn't care if I disappeared, would you? All you-" _ I cut her off by shoving a bowl full of food into her face, still too tired to listen to her rant. Thankfully, she was too busy eating to keep it up. _"...I'm still mad."_

"Don't care, moving on."

"_Only if I get seconds."_

* * *

Ten minutes and one snout scratch, everything was well again. Heading south out of Mauville, we were down near a quarter of Route 110 before the topic of teammates came up again. "You know, we still need a new member of the team. I've been thinking something electric."

"_Hm, electric could be nice. What's around here?"_

I smiled, glad we could agree on this. "According to the 'dex, there are electrike, magnemite, voltorb, joltik, plusle, and minun in the area."

Haru tilted her head at me, _"What's a joltik?"_

Surprised, it took me a moment to remember that native Pokemon wouldn't know many exotic species. "A bug and electric type. Some hitched a ride from Unova through trade and settled down here."

"_Definitely not joltik then, or magnemite. I hate bugs, and magnemite freak me out." _ I stared at her confused. _"What? A steel and electric type that flies? It just creeps me out, especially with that single eye."_

I just shrugged and decided to go with it. "So we can get a voltorb or electrike. The Plusle and Minun are weak without each other, and I'm not a huge fan of double battles."

Haru nodded, before standing (hopping) still, eyes glowing. _"There's voltorb across the lake, and an electrike pack forty-eight yards south."_

My eyebrows shot up as I stared at her, something which she noticed. _"What? Psycholocation. It's common amongst psychics."_

"Well, alri-" an echoing bang cut me off.

* * *

_Third chapter, and one review. Thanks to Farla, for picking my first chapter apart in a helpful way. Hopefully I can get better at writing (I openly acknowledge the next famous author I am not.)_


	4. Friends Come From Odd Places

"Holy freakin sh-"

_ "Quiet!" _Haru forced my mouth shut as the sound of a gunshot rang out. _"That came from the electrike pack."_

Nodding, I crouched down into the grass. "Can you tell what happened?" I hissed.

_ "A single shot, and if I'm right, some poachers just got a manectric pelt. Seems like the poor thing was a mother too." _Haru intoned, eyes glowing.

Gritting my teeth, I began to make a plan. "Alright Haru, we're going to shut these guys down."

She shot me an incredulous look. _"How, by being shot until they run out of ammo?"_

"You're sarcasm isn't needed right now. You're a psychic, can't you like, stop their brains or something?"

_ "Yes, and send them into permanent comas. Believe it or not, messing with brains is hard." _she stated flatly.

"Fine, can you catch their bullets, or crumple their guns or something?" I was getting desperate, as the poachers may see pups as targets.

_ "Psychics have limited influence over metals, don't you know typing?"_

"I was hoping it wouldn't matter against inanimate objects. Um..." I trailed off as ideas stopped coming. "Maybe, no. What about?..."

_ "Look, I have an idea," _Haru interjected, _"but I need you to work with me."_

* * *

The three poachers sat around a fire, passing bottles of beer around to celebrate their latest kill. Perched on logs, they filled a small clearing of trees in the light woods near the northern end of the bike track. One of the more drunken ones began to laugh. "Man, did you see that things face? It was all 'No, don't kill me!' Priceless!"

The other two joined in his laughter, nearly falling off the logs they were using as chairs. From the psychic vantage point, Haru began the plan.

_ "Help, there's a monster!" _Charging down the hill, she ran from a large branch that was being hoisted psychokinetically.

"Y'all hear that?" the least drunk asked, "a monster! Sounds like a good way to net some extra cash."

"What about the kid?" another asked. I silently thanked Arceus they were too drunk to tell it was a psychic projection, and not a child's scream.

"Screw the kid; it was probably his fault anyway. Heck, if she survives, she may give us a rew-" the man's retort died off as the air his throat was psychically held in place. Gasping and clutching at his neck, he fell over, prompting the other two poachers to dash over, abandoning their guns.

_ Silent as the wind._ I told myself, dragging my body along the grass. _Just need to crawl a few more feet and move their gu-_

"Hey kid!" _Crap._

Dashing forward, I rolled over a rifle one of the men had used, somehow bringing it to aim at the men on one knee. "Hey boys, how's it going?" I smirked, praying my false bravado wouldn't be seen through. Thankfully, the men seemed too drunk to realize how much my hands were shaking. The poachers blanched at the sight of a rifle pointed at them, then even more so when they realize their other guns were missing.

_ "Looking for these?" _Haru hopped out from behind a nearby tree, two long rifles held psychically in the air, muzzles pointed at the two men who were still standing. The third had long since passed out.

"Alright now, here's how this is going to play out." I drawled, still trying to believe I was holding a gun with the threat to shoot, "The tall guy here is going to drag his friend back to Mauville while the roundy- yes, I mean you- will turn yourselves in for illegal poaching. You will either do this, or choose which way you want to join the manectric. Understood?" The taller man nodded, while the fatter one only stood there staring. Bringing the gun to bead over the fat one, I repeated myself. "Understood?"

"Yes sir!" they both nodded frantically, the tall one dragging the unconscious poacher away while the round one began to run north, tripping over his own feet.

Waiting until they were both out of viewing distance, I let the gun slide from my hands before collapsing onto my butt and sighing. "Let's never do that again."

Haru only nodded, slowly bending the guns into uselessness.

* * *

After the "Poacher Event" as we called it, Haru and I debated over what to do with the body. I wanted to pay respects to it. "I say we bury it."

_ "Burial isn't natural for manectric." _ She argued.

"So what is, leaving a body out to scavengers and rot?" I snapped irritably.

_ "Yep, and as the body rots away, the electricity generators in its body go haywire, clearing a ten foot radius of all life." _ She responded, much too cheerily for my tastes.

"That makes it even worse, and we still need to make sure the cubs are safe." I reminded.

_ "Cub. Singular."_ Haru seemed too relaxed _"And we don't need to find him. He's ten feet away in that bush."_

Snapping my head away from my spoink, I turned to see a small yellow and green hound. His eyes opened wide in the realization that it had been spotted, and he tried to sneak away before being plucked into the air psychically with a yelp. Squirming in the telekinetic grasp, the young electrike growled at Haru. Haru seemed to growl right back as she never broke eye contact. Deciding that growling had failed, it began to yap wildly at Haru and I.

"What's he saying? Can you translate?" Feeling left out, I couldn't help but wonder what they were saying.

_ "If you insist…" _She trailed off, opening my mind to a new voice.

_ "-n't eat me I don't taste good and I'm skinny and boney and I have no flavor and my Momma will eat you and-" _ the pup was cut off as Haru wrapped a psychic force around it's jaw, clamping it shut.

Rubbing my temples, I couldn't help but wonder who I killed in a past life to deserve this. "Haru, let me talk to him." Kneeling down, I reached out a hand slowly, gently petting the pup as he flinched away. "Hey boy, I know this is hard, but your momma's gone now. If you want, you can come with us, but you can just leave otherwise. Haru, let go of his mouth."

With wide eyes the electrike began to hesitantly bark _"If, if it's not too much trouble, I would like to join you. M-Momma always said that trained pokemon were stronger, a-and I need to be strong to make her proud."_

Smiling, I nodded while fishing in my pocket for a pokeball. Finding one, I pressed the button and maximized it. "This will be your ball." I gently informed, "You'll live in this while you're with me." Gently pressing the capture mechanism into the pup's fur, the young electrike burst into light as his being was digitized into the ball. The ball shook violently in my hand for a brief moment, before stilling with a dinging noise.

Grinning, I raised the ball to eye level as I stood. "Haru," I began, resisting the urge to pose, "we have a new teammate!"

* * *

_Fourth chapter is now up! For anyone who can't tell, this story is heavily inspired by Pedestal and Regret, by Digital Skitty and Crukix respectively. If you haven't read them, then hurry up and do it! They're way better than this is. Also, a Beta is still needed. Please apply._


	5. Sunny Days

The new member of my team was sound asleep in his ball when we made it to Slateport.

_ "I told you, it takes at least two days to cross the longer routes!" _Haru reminded me for the umpteenth time.

"I know Haru, I just figured we could travel a bit later so as to make it to Slateport before noon." I reasoned, or what I think was reasoning. Speaking honestly, I was still too tired to know. I was also too tired to see the loose rock I was about to kick, causing me to slip and fall on my rear.

_ "Hmph, that's what you get."_ She snorted, _"Though I've noticed you making a habit of falling now."_

"Yeah? Well… shut up." So I wasn't that great at debates at six in the morning, running on five hours of sleep. Sue me.

_ "You know, you still need to name electrike. It's bad for forming Poke-Trainer bonds to go this long without a name."_ Haru yet again reminded me.

"I know, I know. I'm bad at names. How would you like it if I made _you _choose the sound you would refer to a friend until the day they died?" I grumbled.

_ "How about Ike, like electr_ike_?" _She suggested.

"No, when he evolves it won't fit. How about Joule?" I suggested back.

_ "Look, what you name your team is your business. But if I get a friend with some dumb pun for their type, damage will be done."_

"Alright, no electric themed names." I agreed just to stop her from glaring. I had no idea a pig could glare like that. "How's Mike sound?"

_ "Dumb."_ she shrugged (or tried the best a hopping pig can.) Catching my glare, she looked away and mumbled, _"What, you wanted honest."_

"I've got it!" I shouted, snapping my fingers. _Why did I not think of this earlier?_ "Come on out!" Tossing the ball in the air, the sphere snapped open and poured out light that materialized into a green dog.

_ "What is it master?" _Theelectrike asked, his head tilting to the side.

"You need a name, and we're out of ideas." I sighed, head hanging. Thoughts raced through my head as I prepared for his reaction. _Will he see me as a loser? Will he want to leave? Will he-_

_ "Why didn't you just say so?" _ He asked, neck rotating to lean the other way _"I've got some ideas."_

At that I perked up, relieved that he wasn't visibly disappointed. "Really? Well, let's hear them."

_ "Alright."_ Closing his eyes, he seemed to rack his brain _"Nicholas, Tesla, Zock, Svez, and Szen."_

Surprised, I felt my eyebrows raising. Apparently, he had been thinking this over for a while. "I like Svez and Szen most of all. Haru?" I asked, turning to face my starter.

_ "Ignoring the blatant reference to Nikola Tesla, Zock does seem too similar to the human word 'Sock' so we can rule that out. Svez means 'Courage' and Szen means 'Power' when translated from the Poke-tongue."_ Haru stated, analyzing the names. _"Personally, I like Szen a little more, as a psychic type who believes in calmness."_

Coughing into my hand at her final remark, I turned back to Electrike. "So, is Szen okay with you?"

Grinning, head bobbing, and tail wagging, he barked out a yes.

Szen the electrike had officially joined my team.

* * *

_ "So, what are we doing?" _Szen asked as we walked down Slateport's cobblestone main road. _"Are we going adventuring, or training, or what?"_

"First, we're heading west to Littleroot." I told him, turning to a side road. Szen and Haru flanked me on either side as I navigated towards the famous Slateport Lighthouse. The lighthouse loomed ahead as we approached the east coast.

_ "Why are we going there?"_ He asked. I sighed happily, embracing the salty air and approaching a railed side to lean out over the ocean.

"I need to get my Trainer License. It lets me challenge the gyms, and hopefully the championship when we get there. Then, we can be the best team in Hoenn." I closed my eyes, deeply inhaling the salty spray of the Hoenn water. "We're taking a boat to Dewford two days, but until then we can relax." Leaning back on one foot, I pivoted around on my heel. "So, what'll we do until then?"

Haru and Szen looked at each other (sharing a psychic conversation I'm positive that I'll never hear) before turning back to me with the biggest puppy dog eyes I had ever seen. _"We want to go to the beach!"_ they chorused in unison.

I nodded, "Sure, the beach sounds like fun." Turning around to head to the pokecenter, I was stopped by a waist-high dog and pig.

"_No trainer, now."_ Haru demanded, her and Szen pushing me towards the stairs down to the waterline.

"Uh, guys? I need to get my swimming stuff on and a room first." I cried, stumbling as I was forced to the beach.

Unsurprisingly, I was ignored.

* * *

_Chapter five! Wow, it's hard to believe I'm already at chapter five. Well, anyway. I'm about halfway through the pre-written stuff, so updates will be slowing down soon. Also, a Beta reader is still (yes, still) needed. Please PM me to apply. Also, shoutout to Xia for the reviews._


	6. Smooth Waters

_Firefirefireburnpainhotburninghothothotstopendstopleasedeathburnfireowstopnowhywhywhy._

* * *

Shooting up in my bed, I clutched at my chest. _What was that, a dream? Why did it feel so real?_

Rubbing my sleep crusted eyes, I looked around the stark pokemon center room. Glancing at the clock, I couldn't help the sigh that escaped upon seeing 6:35 in glowing letters. Looking forward at my feet, I smiled as I saw Szen curled around Haru. Szen's eye opened a slit to look at me as I pulled my legs out from under them, then closed as he nestled back into sleep. Resisting the urge to let out a dopey _Dawww,_ I tiptoed to the bathroom.

Wrapping my hands around the sink, I squinted into the mirror as my eyes adjusted to the harsh artificial lights. _Let's see, a small burn from a torkoal, multiple cuts from bushes and branches, and a nice bruise from a rock when I rolled, and all this in less than a month._ Chuckling quietly, I thought of how old and jaded I must already sound. _Man, I need to register before I can act this old._

* * *

"Anchors away!"

Fumbling slightly as the boat lurched forward, I gripped the railing on the port side. At least, I think it was the port side. "Freaking ship terms." I mumbled, reaching into my pocket for the minimized pokeballs, pulling Haru's out for comfort.

"No pokemon on deck!" someone yelled before I could let her out.

"I know!" I shouted back, stalking away to my room. _Freaking ship terms, freaking pokemon free decks, freaking- _my thoughts were cut off as a larger wave hit the side, causing me to fall face first, narrowly managing to land on my bed. _Freaking ocean._

In a burst of light, Haru and Szen materialized into the small room. _"What's up?"_ Haru asked, looking around as Szen began to sniff the interior of the room.

"Well, there's a no pokemon rule on deck, so I figured we could hang out here." I explained. _Man, I must sound desperate for company._

Haru and Szen shared a look before turning to me. _"Look master…" _Szen started, _"It's not that we don't like being with you, but um…"_

"_You need to hang out with some humans."_ Haru finished. _"Some human contact will do you good."_ Lifting me with telekinesis, Haru floated me out of the room before locking the door behind me. Thrashing in the air, I stumbled as the invisible grip on my body was released. Spinning on my heel, I began to hit the door.

"Hey, let me in!" I shouted, still banging on the door. So what if people stared, my own freaking team –though admittedly a small one still- was against me!

"_Master, you need to socialize." _Szen barked through the door, and with that, telepathic communication was shut off, leaving only the sounds of the sea and other people.

"Fine, I don't need you guys. I can have fun on my own!" I yelled at the door. I was going to have fun today, even if it killed me. How hard could it be to socialize again?

* * *

Half an hour later, I was leaning on the railing, breakfast trying to force its way out.

"You okay?" a masculine voice asked me. Raising my head to face the stranger, I forced a grin.

"Yeah, just a bit dizzy." He crossed his arms and frowned.

"You know, it's a lot better below deck." he informed me.

"Oh, I'm aware. It's just that _some pokemon_ decided their trainer needed to be with people instead of them." I bitterly groaned, leaning back over the rails when a particularly large wave hit the side of the ship.

Laughing, the boy (he couldn't be too much older than me) threw his head back. "Well, I guess I can help them with that. I'm Jake." he held a hand out for me to shake.

"I'm-" I found my breakfast of pidgey eggs and tepig bacon floating in the water as yet another wave pelted the side.

Laughing even harder, Jake clutched his ribs. "I know a better place to be for the seasick. Come on."

* * *

It turned out the "Better place for the seasick" was nothing but the ship's dining room. Catching my glare from being led to food when I had a weak stomach, Jake raised his hands in defense. "What? The dining room is the most well-balanced place we can get to. You think they'd put the food in a shaky area?"

Frowning at actual logic being used against me, I lowered my head onto the table we sat at. "So Jake," I began, "are you a trainer?"

"Nope!" he grinned. "I'm actually a breeder."

That caught my attention. "Breeder? Like, eggs and babies breeder?"

"That's right!" he beamed. "I'm actually in Hoenn to scout for some local Pokemon. Now that Unova is most likely going to be recalling the embargo, I figure it's the best time to get some Hoennese species. Might as well get while the going's good."

"Cool. So do you have a personal team?" I inquired, leaning on the table.

"Yeah, I've got claydoll named Meya, she's mostly for teleporting to the major cities. I've got mantine, Steve. He helps me get around on water. I've got Molly the aggron, my sister named her, don't blame me. Last but not least, I've got my starter, Basher. He's a donphan."

Mentally checking donphan's info in my head, I pieced together a rough area map. "So, you're from Johto?"

"Yeah, Cherrygrove City." he nodded.

"Sweet. So why are you heading to Dewford?" I asked. Nothing in Dewford was particularly rare, if I remembered correctly.

"Granite Cave. I hear there's a rare steel type in there. Rumors are that it's also part Fairy, something people pay big bucks for." That made sense. Fairy types had recently been declared their own species, something that drastically changed the training system, especially since it meant that dragons were no longer the most feared foe outside of ice type trainers.

"Yeah, I heard about that. Heck, I may even check it out myself." I said, mentally face palming a second afterwards. "Crap, never mind. I kind of forgot I'm not registered for a second there."

"You're not a registered trainer?" Jake asked. "I thought that meant you couldn't carry pokemon? At least, that's how it works in the Kan-Johto regions."

I blinked, surprised at the difference in regions. "Nah, Hoenn's more lax about owning Pokemon. Registration's for having more than three, along with being entered into the Gym Circuit."

"Huh, that's neat." We continued making small talk for what must have been an hour. Jake was a funny guy, and had me doubled over as we swapped stories from the road. Of course, Haru had given my plenty of stories to share as well.

"And then and then, Haru threw the torkoal like a puck, and it knocked over th-three machop!" I finished, cracking up.

"H-how did she get it so angry in the first place?" he wheezed out, clutching his stomach.

"She, oh Arceus, she thought it was a good place to try to nap!" I burst out, wiping tears from my eyes.

"Oh man, I have got to travel on foot more if it means getting those sorts of stories." he laughed.

"Yeah, it's great, except when a young electrike pees on your shoes because he doesn't understand the idea of personal property." I chuckled, still a bit upset about losing my nice boots. Unsurprisingly, Jake burst out in another peal of laughter upon hearing this. I joined in, because how could you not laugh in a situation like this?

Joking and swapping stories, the boat chugged along to the end of Route 108.

That was when the world went to Hell.

* * *

_Whelp, that's chapter six. As usual, I still need a beta to help lower the sucking level. This story may increase to an M rating, (it will anyway, but maybe sooner I mean.)_


	7. Rough Seas

"Oh Arceus get below deck now!" Screams rang out as a flood of panicked passengers rushed into the dining area. Jake and I looked around confused, as the cafeteria was flooding fast with panicked ship-goers.

I snagged someone's shirt as they ran past, an older man in a red coat. "What's going on?"

The man uttered a single word that chilled me to the bone. "Gyarados."

* * *

Apparently, the medium sized vessel had crossed a gyarados school somewhere near the end of Route 108. Most likely driven south due to the higher temperatures, the school had established itself securely in the path of most shipping and travel lines. They had been leaving most ships alone, though there were a few reports of incidents with the school.

Fearing we may anger them, the passengers (including myself) had been rounded up and put into the dining hall, all Pokemon returned as we gathered around tables.

The speakers crackled to life as the captain began to address the ship. "We are deeply sorry about this interruption. Now, while it is dangerous out, panic is currently the biggest threat. We're going to ask that you keep all teleporting pokemon out. All other pokemon should be kept in their balls until we leave the gyarados territory. Life boats have been prepared should we need them, though women and children will be put as top priority. Also, we ask that all pokemon that know Future Sight begin scanning for possibilities of attack. Thank you for your cooperation."

Jake nudged my side "You should release Haru. She can teleport you, right?"

I frowned, shaking my head. "No, she's too young still, and I'm not sure she even knows Teleport." This didn't stop me from reaching into my pocket to give her's and Szen's balls a reassuring squeeze.

Jake nodded, pulling out a blue and silver ball before releasing his Claydoll. "We're on emergency evacuation duty Meya. Just wait here and be ready to get as many women and children out if something happens."

Meya's eyes glowed faintly as she responded._ "Understood."_

The ship shook as a gyarados rubbed against the bottom of the hull. Everyone not in a seat stumbled slightly, which included myself. At least if I died, I had "Gave chair to a woman" to help me get into heaven. Meya merely hovered in place, her eyes looking at us all at once.

A xatu nearby perked up, eyes shining bright. _"Evacuate immediately!"_ rang out as the xatu's Future Sight ended. In a brief instant, every woman, every child, and almost every man vanished from sight. Unfortunately, that didn't include Jake or I.

My head swiveled around, eye locking with Jake. _Shit, I'm going to die here._ For some reason, this thought didn't scare me; instead calming my nerves. _ Well, I guess I don't need to worry about my license anymore._ Jake was not so calm.

Trembling, he dropped to his knees. "Oh Arceus, we're going to die. We were left behind and now we're dead. Dear Arceus save us!" Deciding to take matters into my own hands, I walked over to him. He looked up at me, most likely expecting panic from me. _Well, I'm not going to panic. I'm getting us off of this boat alive. That'll help me in the future. Nothing like having a hero for a champion._ I chuckled mentally, wondering where the calm perspective came from._ Don't question it yet, survival first. Now, let's get Jake under control._

Gripping his shoulder, I shook him. "Dammit man, we've still got lifeboats! We can just take them out of here with the other men who were left behind. Got it?" Jake stared at me with wide eyes and an open mouth. I slapped. "Got it?"

"Ow, dammit man I got it." Letting him shake his head to clear it, I pulled him to his feet and released Haru.

"Alright Haru, I need you to tell everyone to get ready to fight. We're going to cross the deck and get to the lifeboats. We need firepower to keep the gyarados away." I explained.

_"Okay, on it."_ Bouncing away, Haru began to broadcast my message. Turning back to Jake, I pointed my finger at him.

"Alright man, we're going to do this, and I can't have you freaking out again." He nodded, but I wasn't convinced. Pointing my finger at him, I continued. "Seriously man, this is important. Life or death. I need you with me."

Slapping my hand away, he growled. "I'm fine, let's do this."

Haru hopped back, telling me she would hide in her ball until this was over as she was still too weak. I nodded and recalled her, before realising the xatu warned us of an attack. _When will th-_ A blast of light cut the roof off of our heads, a man who had been standing on a table fell off. His head was missing, his neck cauterized by the blast. _Holy shit, a hyper beam._ Spinning around to the group of men, they seemed as terrified as I was.

We stared at the corpse for a full five minutes, before one of the men spoke up. "Alright people, we need a plan."

* * *

Charging onto the deck, we executed our plan of escape. _Step One: Distract the gyarados._ I was near the back without Jake, as I had no real candidates for fighting twenty-foot sea-serpents on a boat. Near the front, Jake directed Steve the mantine out to battle. Counting down in my head, I winced as a wave of water and flying types fired attacks at the school of gyarados, drawing their attention. The roars of pain and thrashing waters were nearly enough to send me sprawling.

_Step Two: Get the lifeboats. _Sprinting over, three men and I began to ready lifeboats, one for each of us. Inflating them to full size, we dangled them over the water, ready to be pushed off at a moments notice.

_Step Three: Load up._ Waving the rest of the men over, the pokemon began to spin their attack around the gyarados, ending on the far side of us. The pokemon were then recalled in a flash of light, the gyarados charged out away from us, too blinded by pain and anger to focus on their original target. The men who had been fighting ran over, filling the boats up. A single machoke was released to push the rafts off, itself being recalled upon the final lifeboat beginning its descent.

Standing on the wobbly rubber, I looked around to catch the eye of Jake on another raft. We shared a grin as we drifted beside the ferry, successful in our escape. The gyarados should have followed the attacks northward, leaving us safe as they wouldn't stop following the nonexistent targets for at least a day. I began to laugh, as we made it! We survived!

That was when a large pair of scaly jaws rose up, ripping Jake's lifeboat to shreds.

* * *

_Seven chapters up, and I have yet to quit. I'm surprised too. As always, a beta is needed (seriously, I need one people.)_


	8. Bloody Water

I was the first to scream, shredded rubber and an unfortunate man's blood raining down from the towering gyarados. Apparently, they hadn't all stuck with the school. This particular one, seemed near malnourished, most likely the runt of the school.

"Holy Arceus!" Looking around frantically, I saw Jake swimming desperately toward the lifeboat. Leaning far over the side and reaching a hand out, I managed to grab his hand and began pulling to get him into the boat. We locked eyes, and he shot me the most grateful look I had ever seen.

That was when the gyarados snapped its jaws down on his waistline, blood spraying out and bone crushing under the pressure.

Eyes wide, Jake slowly looked down at the spray of blood, the gyarados seemed content to sit there and swallow his legs. Ever so slowly, it raised its head, blood trailing down its jaws. Mouth opening in a silent scream, I could only stare in horror as his entrails poured out into the water, blood pouring out to stain the water a deep crimson. Hands slacking, Jake's hand fell out of my grip as he began to sink. The gyarados then snapped it's mouth around his organs and upper body before raising its head again, all traces of Jake gone, save for a bloody patch of water.

I couldn't move, still to frozen in terror. _Oh Arcues, oh sweet Arcues no. No, no, no, no, no no no no nonononono._ _This can't happen, this can't-_

"Holy shit!"

I didn't even move, arm still outstretched as pokemon were released, the shock fading from the others. I didn't move as screams of pained pokemon and an angry gyarados filled the air, nor as the twenty-foot long body of the blue serpent crashed into the ocean, splashing water into the air. I never moved, as the survivors were pulled aboard and the ferry was reboarded. I didn't move until someone slung me over their shoulder before carrying me up a rope and back onto the ferry.

* * *

"Hey kid, you okay? I brought some food." I didn't look at the man who was checking in one me, too focused on staring at the ground while in the tightest ball I could. I knew I was being rude, but I didn't care. I stayed where and how I felt safe, and hiding in my old room was the only safe place I had left. I was too numb to care about anything but my pokemon and trying not to throw up. I blamed the later on seasickness, but I knew it was from memories.

"_Master, you need to eat."_ Szen whimpered, nudging at my feet.

"I'm not hungry Szen." I mumbled.

"_He's right Trainer. I suggest you eat before I force the food into your jaw."_ Haru added.

"Fine." I growled, snatching the plate and fork from the man. I ate the food as angrily as possible, glaring at Haru and Szen. The man smiled sadly, apparently understanding my mood.

"We'll be reaching Dewford in an hour or two, just so you know." he backed out of the room, closing the door.

"_Master, are you okay?"_ Szen asked. I hadn't told either of them, and had at one point mentally battled Haru out of my thoughts. I was sure they hated me, but couldn't help it. I wanted just them to stop caring. I just couldn't tell them, too afraid about making them hate me more.

"Yeah, Szen. I just need some time." He backed off, seemingly understanding me. I may have had forgotten, but he just lost his mother. I wasn't the only one hurting. _ Haru._ She glanced over, reading the projected thought. _I want you to read my memories of today, and then project them to Szen._ Eyes widening, Haru and Szen sat still as the images flooded their the inside of my lip, I braced myself for the inevitable verbal onslaught.

I was surprised when instead, Szen pushed himself into my lap, Haru leaning against me. _"We're so sorry we didn't help." _Haru apologized, burrowing into my side as Szen whimpered.

"Guys, it wasn't your fault. You couldn't have helped against a gyarados." I told them, wrapping Szen in one arm while pulling Haru into the other.

Haru smirked slightly. _"So, what could you have done?"_ I frowned, electing to ignore he. We stayed like that for what must have been an hour, just enjoying the feeling of being together. That was when the PA crackled to life.

"Guys, we're coming up on Dewford Island! Everyone who was teleported is waiting on the docks for us, so let's put on a brave face." I rose slowly, Szen and Haru hopping off of me.

_"Better?" _Haru asked.

"Better."

* * *

Docking was simultaneously the best and worst experience of my life. On the positive side, I was finally back on solid land a could put the horror behind me. On the negative side, the media wouldn't let me put it behind me, or even leave the dock for that matter, with constant interviews about the "Gyarados Tragedy." The interviewers never even asked different questions.

Yes, I was terrified.

No, I didn't fight the Gyarados myself.

Yes, I knew a victim.

Yes, I saw someone die in front of me.

No, I'm not quitting training.

No, I don't want to be in a follow-up interview.

Finally, after the fifth reporter, I had Haru make a bubble around me that reporters couldn't enter.

"Hey kid, don't you want to be on TV?" they seemed to be getting desperate.

I ignored the woman, marching stiffly towards the Pokecenter. Haru hopped alongside, pushing away nosy, would-be interviewers, Szen trotting at my heels. Making it into the pokemon center, I got a room. Haru and Szen stayed at my side, neither having taken any damage during the trip. Going to my room, I fell face first onto the single bed. Not even bothering to change, I passed out then and there.

* * *

_All this, and you thought my poachers were bad. Trust me, this is gonna get messy(even more so). Updates will be slowing down now, as pre-made stuff is near out. Also, still looking for Beta._


	9. Nightmares Mirror Reality

_Gnashing teeth, crunching bone, ripping flesh. Please no, please stop, please just let me die, pl-_

* * *

Gasping awake, I rubbed my face with one hand while groaning. _Great, that nightmare won't leave me until I die._ Checking the clock, I read an early 6:00. Szen, curled at my feet as per usual, barked something out.

"I can't understand you boy," I yawned quietly, "Haru's still sleeping."

Szen growled something else before curling back into sleep. Smiling at the action, I checked today's plans mentally. _The boat to Petalburg leaves at four, and it's a three hour trip. I can train in the sparring area for an hour, then grab an early dinner._ I frowned, wondering what to do with a free hour.

Growling again, Szen bumped his nuzzle into my side. Looking down and wondering how I never heard him coming, I found a newspaper clamped in his jaws. Shooting him a questioning look, he motioned to the crack under the door. Apparently the paper was provided to all trainers in this center.

Taking the paper, I rewarded him with a scratch on the head as I flipped open the slightly wet copy of The Hoenn Times. Unsurprisingly, the headlines read, "Attack at Sea!" A large picture of the roofless boat docking taking up the center of the page. Skimming the article, I found the basic recap of the event, as well as some interviews of the people who had been teleported off. The ones who were left didn't want to talk, a feeling I shared.

I also learned that the boat's engine was fine, despite the controls having been vaporized by a hyper beam. Apparently, the ship had a computer running an autopilot program to Dewford, a crew only being on deck to control people and in case the computer got damaged. _Explains how we got to port._

A small pounding noise began, telling me that Haru was up. _"Morning trainer," _she yawned _"you're up early."_

I flashed her a tight smile. "Bad dreams." I told her, which thankfully she understood. Looking back down at the paper, I was surprised to see a picture of me as I got off of the boat. _Wait, if I'm in the paper, then that means- _ My thought were cut off as my cell phone began ringing. Cursing under my breath, I checked the caller ID, praying to Arceus that it didn't read my parent name. I think it was ignoring my prayers at this point.

"Hi mom." I sheepishly greeted, holding the phone a foot away in preparation for the verbal storm. I was not disappointed.

"Oh my Arceus do you know how lucky you are to be alive you're stopping training this instant and coming home I knew it was too dangerous!" how she could talk that long I would never know.

"No, I'm fine. How are you?" figuring logic would be useless, I instead opted for the "Different Conversation" approach. "The boat leaves for Petalburg in a few hours, so I should get to packing. Gotta go, love you, bye." Flipping the phone shut, I yanked the battery out before she could call back.

Glancing down at Haru, I shrugged. "Now what?"

* * *

"Anchors away!"

Stumbling slightly, I rediscovered my hatred for boats. At least this one let me have Haru and Szen out to suffer with me.

_"Master, I think I'm gonna be sick."_ Szen groaned, head through the railing.

"Haru," I groaned, "can you help with sea sickness?" Waiting for a moment as her eyes lit up, I suddenly felt the need to vomit fade away. "How?..."

_"Sea sickness is caused by the mind focusing on too many things. I just isolated some sensory inputs to let you focus." _Haru explained. _"Szen, however, is stuck for now. I still don't have the power to help you both."_

Nodding, I recalled Szen. If he was going to be barfing over the side, there wasn't a point in leaving him out. "Well, let's head down to the training area. Might as well get some training done before we get to Petalburg."

The training area was a fairly modern room; weights, dummies, and even airsoft guns were available for trainers to test their team with. Nodding in appreciation, I released Szen before picking up an airsoft pistol. "Alright guys, we'll start with speed training. I'll shoot at you, and you dodge." Szen nodded happily, ready for a workout. Noticing Haru's slight smirk, I pointed at her. "You, missy, are not allowed to use your telekinesis."

Smirking at her outraged reaction, I loaded a clip into the gun, I took aim at my pokemon. "Training time begins, now!"

* * *

Stumbling off of the boat- Haru and Szen nipping at my heels- I made it to the Petalburg docks. "You know Haru, when I said that I wanted to get some exercise in too, you didn't have to shoot the BB's back. I'm pretty sure that I'm covered in bruises now an- Stop laughing!" I shouted, cutting off their shared snickering.

"_Come on master, how do you expect to become the champion without a few bruises?" _Szen sniggered.

Haru perked up at that. _"That reminds me, why are you trying to be champion?"_

Looking at her incredulously, I gestured wildly. "Come on, who doesn't want to be champion? Strongest in the region, savior of those in need, hero of Hoenn!"

Neither pokemon seemed impressed. _"So what you're saying is that's it's just a big title while the pokemon do all the work?"_

Stuttering, I tried to counter Haru's accusation. "Because, well, you know…"

Snickering, Haru nodded. _"Knew it, you just want to be the strongest, don't you?"_

I didn't even try to deny that. The champion was the best in the region, and that was all- just the strongest person.

"Come on guys, let's get going, I want to hit Petalburg tonight."

* * *

_Still haven't quit writing yet. I'm as surprised as you. Still looking for a Beta, starting to give up near this point._


End file.
